A few days ago, Microsoft released the long-awaited Windows Phone 7.8 update for all those users who will be stuck on Windows Phone 7 forever because there's no upgrade path to Windows Phone 8 other than buying a new phone. Now that it's here, what, exactly, does WP7.8 to the table?

I'm in the market for a smartphone. I loved meego and even after the whole Nokia deal, and being a linux fan, I was still willing to give WP8 a shot because of how unique it was.

Not anymore.

This fiasco has left me with zero confidence that Microsoft will deliver on their promises for windows phone, or that a WP8 will get updated to WP9 in the future. It's like they don't even care what the hell happens to Windows Phone users. They don't seem to treat users as customers, only OEMs as customers.

It's a shame really, I'm in the market for a smartphone and I don't like android or iOS. (I don't mind android but nor do I like it). My only other option now is Blackberry 10, (or maybe I'll get a Nexus 4, I'll wait and see how it plays out). But either way, Microsoft just lost out on a potential customer.

Personally I find Android to be an invigorating and innovative experience. Of course, I ONLY buy Google phones (e.g., Nexus One and now Galaxy Nexus) which receive updates quickly and regularly. I recently purchased a little jump-drive-esque fob for my TV that plugs into an HDMI port and transforms the television into a giant Android tablet. For $65.00 USD. LOVE IT! While Android is far from perfect, it's moving in the right direction...and quickly. While Apple continues to stranglehold its customers by refusing to allow even so much as an mSD expansion port, manufacturers using Android can offer a raft of advanced features and future expansion at relatively low cost. Long live Android!

You bought the wrong phone. I'm sorry to tell you. The 8S is the weakest performer in the entire Windows Phone lineup. It's definitely not fair to evaluate WP8 based on that device. Try a Nokia Lumia 920 if you want to experience this OS the way it was meant to be.

I just bought an HTC 8S and while it's a beautiful phone, inside and out, I can't shake the feeling that it's not a smartphone. Everything you do is somehow awkward and limiting.

I also have the HTC 8S and had a Lumia 710 before. The `funniest' thing is that I have to look really hard to see any improvements and advantages of Windows Phone 8 compared to Windows Phone 7.5. Sure, it has a new basis and it is a better platform for the future. But the upgrade hasn't bought me much as a customer. Well, except (hopefully) updates for a longer period.

- Kid's corner? Nice, if we had kids. Although, we'd probably buy them an iPod-touch like device if we trusted them with a device.

- Rooms: great, but all my family has iPhones and my friends have iPhones or Android phones. The 'Rooms' experience on other phones? Not so great.

- Data sense: not available with my provider.

- Smartglass: I don't have an XBox. And AFAIK, it is supported on WP7 too.

- XBox Music unlimited: doesn't work on a Mac or Linux. So, I'll stay with rd.io or Spotify.

- Camera app lenses. I don't use it. The camera on the 8s sucks anyway.

- NFC: the phone doesn't have it.

- SD card support: you cannot put apps on it.

The only interesting new features for me were: the extra tile size (now also supported on WP7), OTA updates, and a newer Internet Explorer. Mildly useful is the SD card support, because at the very least I can store some data elsewhere.

Lots of things aren't fixed, such as the lack of Facebook features (all my app and user blocks are gone, I can't like comments, etc.), losing messenger connectivity all the time and spotty Skype connectivity.

All in all, it's a decent OS, and there is some good hardware available at decent prices (e.g. the Nokia 620). But Microsoft f*cked early adopters and loyal customers royally. And there's little reason to believe that they won't do that again.

I believe the biggest mistake MS has done is calling WP a smartphone OS. I has a unique paradigm that is something inbeetween, that should better be called power feature phone or experience phone. They should show they have something new, not an also ran competitor to IOS and Android.
Smartphone is a device that user can adopt to ones needs (including fixing inherent deficiencies) without many limits. While Windows Mobile was best example of that approach WP couldn't be more removed from it.
There are many people that would take thoughtfull, cohesive and secure experience over adaptability. That's the demographic WP is aimed at. MS shouldn't try to compete for Android users but aim at people searching to replace their dump phones with something that does mobile web. Cheap and sturdy WP devices should get most attention.

Switching kernels is a once in a lifetime thing. There is no reason for anyone who is even a little informed about this OS to think the same kind of thing would happen again. As a former WP 7.5 user I can understand why some people may be upset, but its time to let this go. Microsoft is not the first company to ever have to make a difficult decision to move their OS forward and leave some things behind. Moving to the NT kernel is what will ensure Windows Phone's future and Microsoft is guaranteeing at least 18 months of support/updates on any of these devices from here on out. That should be more than enough as very few people keep their phones beyond 2 years when they are eligible for an upgrade anyway.

Most customers do not give a shit about what a kernel is, and why it's change is, apparently according to you, an "once in a life time event"... even though Microsoft has changed their phone OS kernel 3 times in less than 4 years.

In any case. Being just as crappy, or crappier, than your competitors is a very very very poor value proposition.